Barca Tapas and Cava Bar

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £13.95 (set lunch)
   £16.50 (evening meal)
• House wine: £13.95 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Freshly cooked tapas
• Low point: Dishes quickly go cold
• Food served: Sat-Thu noon-10pm; Fri noon-11pm
• Bar open: Mon-Sun 11am-midnight
• Private dining: 30-40
• Open since: 2005
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access, Pre-theatre menu

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Barca exudes a casual Mediterranean warmth and understated class that feels far from the showy chatter of Princes Square. Predominant shades of red, orange, gold and brown find vivid focus in a painting of a menacing bull, while refined hits from the 60s and 70s encourage a relaxed recline in the pitched, padded chairs. Large oval tables allow for easy accommodation of paella or well-portioned tapas, which arrive swiftly, courtesy of the grinning service. Fish options, such as delicate tartlets filled with citrus-dressed crab, contrast with meaty dishes that come as either air-dried cuts or rich stews. The lamb casserole features chunks of slow-cooked meat in a Rioja jus. An impressive array of textures is displayed in a signature tapa of smooth scallops, mealy black pudding and crisp bacon, which harmonise well. Such attention to flavour is also apparent in a dessert of baked figs served with a wedge of mellow walnut ice cream. Prices aren't necessarily reflective of neighbouring upmarket competitors, either, with an enticing pre-theatre tapas selection at about £15. The general insouciance can be savoured further in the adjoining cava bar - something of a misnomer, as the four cavas offered are outnumbered by champagnes and a selection of some rather impressively sourced Spanish reds and whites.